Lane Kiffin Responds to Matt Corral's Comments on Attending Ole Miss
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Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin responded to comments made earlier in the week by his former quarterback on Wednesday, believing they will blow over in time.
Former Rebel Matt Corral, selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, recently stated that he "took the easy way out" in choosing Ole Miss for his college career.
“I took the easy way out because I felt I could play right away,” Corral said about his decision to play for the Rebels, per The Charlotte Observer. “Knowing what I know now and trusting my instincts and trusting my work ethic, I would have went to a place that would have made me compete.”
Although Corral did not mean the comments to be offensive to the Rebel program or its current coach, Kiffin was asked about them on ESPN's First Take on Wednesday.
"First off, I wasn’t here when Matt got here," Kiffin said. "So as far as the competition initially, which he was in, I wasn’t here. Matt immediately texted me after that to say that’s not what he meant by it, and that he actually was in a competition here. So he’s a rookie in the NFL. He’s not going to say everything right. He’s not going to throw everything right, especially in his first year.
"So I’m sure he’d take that back, but you know, we’re in the time where there’s not much going on in the media. Like I told him, this will run for 48 hours, and nobody will even remember it."
Regardless, Corral now finds himself in a competitive quarterback room in Carolina, and it appears that he and his former coach are still close even after his selection in the draft.
And why shouldn't they be? Corral and Kiffin's relationship while both were in Oxford is well-documented, and they have been mutually successful over the last two years as a result.
Ole Miss is still looking for Corral's replacement for the 2022 season, a decision that will likely come down to Corral's backup Luke Altmyer or transfer Jaxson Dart at the quarterback position.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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